Sunipia thailandica (Seidenfaden & Smitinand) P. F. Hunt Kew Bull. 26: 184. 1971.

光花大苞兰 guang hua da bao lan

Ione thailandica Seidenfaden & Smitinand, Orchids Thailand 4(2): 813. 1965.

Pseudobulbs close, conic, 7-11 mm, ca. 1 cm in diam., with 1 leaf at apex. Scape ascending, ca. 7.5 mm; peduncle ca. 1 mm in diam., with 3 or 4 tubular sheaths; raceme ca. 4.5 cm, more than 10-flowered; floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2-3.5 mm, apex acute. Pedicel and ovary ca. 2 mm. Flowers purplish red, with pale yellow lip. Dorsal sepal ovate, concave, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm, 3-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals oblong, ca. 4.2 × 1.5 mm, base adnate to column foot, their lower edges connate to each other except apices, apex obtuse. Petals broadly oblong or subsquare, ca. 2.2 × 1.5 mm, membranous, 1-veined, abaxial base with 1 appendage, margin entire, apex subtruncate and retuse; basal appendage deltoid, ca. 0.2 mm, fleshy, apex obtuse; lip ligulate or subsagittate, ca. 3.8 × 2.5 mm, adaxially ± scaly on basal half, with 2 round calli at base and 3 longitudinal stripes from base to middle or near apex. Column ca. 1 mm; foot ca. 0.5 mm; 2 pairs of pollinia with 1 common Y-shaped stipe and a single viscidium. Fl. Apr.

Quercus trees in mixed forests; 1400-1700 m. S and SW Yunnan [N Thailand].